It is often desirable to reduce the size and weight of a fluid handling apparatus, such as an oxygen concentrator used for medical purposes, to increase its portability and ease of use. The inputs and outputs of the components in such an apparatus are generally controlled by solenoid valves in conjunction with a computer that actuates the valves in the appropriate sequence. The control of a number of input/output pairs of fluid handling units in such an oxygen concentrator conventionally requires at least double or more of separate valves. For example, the control of 3 input/output pairs of an oxygen concentrator conventionally requires at least 9 separate valves. This bank of valves is generally bulky and includes complicated input and output passageways. The input and output passageways generally consist of plastic tubes that have a limit on how much they may bend and thus these passageways tend to waste space around the bank of valves.
Therefore, a compact and reliable multiple valve device to perform the valve functions for the input/output pairs of a fluid handling device is desired in the art.